Veterans Affairs secretary nominee Doug Collins has assured that the agency under his leadership will not be involved in providing healthcare to migrants, following recent reports suggesting otherwise. During a Senate hearing, Sen. Tommy Tuberville raised concerns about the VA specialty care system allegedly funding healthcare for illegal aliens in 2023.
Collins responded by stating his commitment to investigating the matter, emphasizing that he believes any funds allocated for veterans should be solely dedicated to their care.
Last year, a controversial partnership between the VA's Financial Service Center (VA-FSC) and ICE to process claims for migrant medical care sparked outrage among Republicans. This collaboration, which predates the current administration and was established during the Trump era, involves reimbursing independent private providers for specialist or emergency care given to illegal migrants under ICE detention.
When detained migrants require medical attention beyond onsite treatment, ICE contracts with the VA-FSC to handle reimbursements to healthcare providers. This process, facilitated through the VA-FSC's Healthcare Claims Processing System, ensures that providers are compensated at Medicare rates. According to a recent report, ICE has numerous agreements with providers under which ICE's Health Service Corps (IHSC) manages reimbursements through the VA-FSC's portal.
